


Blooming Love

by whatamidoingeven



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon, Time Passing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 20:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17029773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatamidoingeven/pseuds/whatamidoingeven
Summary: At some point, the seasons pass by faster than either of them can keep track of-- but there are some moments that stand out.It's not a coincidence that those moments always involve the both of them.





	Blooming Love

**Author's Note:**

> This was the piece I wrote for the Makoannthology, which released back in June but I never posted here.

Ann was already regretting this. 

Honestly, she half-guessed Makoto was too. At least Makoto was maintaining a facade of composure, though sometimes a non-reaction meant as much as an overreaction with her. Then again, this  _ had _ been Makoto’s idea in the first place.

None of that changed that fact that the two of them were currently seated under a shabbily-constructed tent, in the middle of the forest, with no way to pass the time. Just late enough that they couldn’t go anywhere else without risking a place to stay for the night. They tried to start a fire to have  _ something _ to do, but every attempt got about as far as the ‘making sparks’ stage before fizzling out. The sun was already setting and soon it would be dark out and--

Oh, no. 

Ann took another glance over at Makoto, who sat with perfect posture at her side, her mouth in a straight line across her face, and knew instantly that the two of them were doomed. 

Outside, cicadas chirped. In the distance were the caws of various birds, the wind rustling the leaves of full trees, the soundtrack of a dying summer day. Not that it made a difference when all they were surrounded by was a thin polyester fabric, with no light source but a lantern Ann couldn’t remember packing spare batteries for. 

They were so very doomed.

Ann had seen enough horror movies to know how to defend herself, or, more appropriately, how  _ not  _ to defend herself from being easy prey, but it wasn’t really herself that was at risk here. Makoto sat beside her, shaking a little now that the light from outside the tent dimmed; if they went on any longer like this, Ann would not only be a sitting target for any horror movie villain to pick off, but even worse, Makoto would be a wreck the whole night, and that simply wouldn’t do. 

“Hey, babe?” Ann reached out, resting a hand gently against Makoto’s thigh, but even that light touch made the girl jump. “You doing okay?” 

Makoto seemed to settle at the revelation it was just Ann touching her, but only a little, “F-fine, I’m doing fine.”

The still-present tremors and the slight frown said completely the opposite, but Niijima pride was a strong force, even in the face of fear, and Ann realized that she would need a different tactic. 

“I have an idea,” she started, turning her body so she sat facing Makoto, “let’s play a game. You know, to pass the time! Isn’t that what you do when you go camping?”

“I-I guess…” Makoto answered quietly, though Ann was fully aware she knew just as much about camping as Ann did; that is to say, nothing at all. “What kind of game?” 

“It might be sort of hard to explain, so I’ll just show you-- can you hold out your hands for me?” 

Makoto did so, holding out each hand in front of her. 

“Perfect. Now, relax…” 

Ann took a hold of those hands, and made sure her grip was firm before…

“ _ EECK!” _

...she yanked Makoto towards her, resulting in the girl tumbling forward, her head landing against Ann’s chest as Ann simultaneously fell back against the sleeping bag they had brought, wrapping her arms around Makoto tightly. 

“It’s called ‘I’m not letting you out of my arms the rest of the night’. What do you think? I’ll admit the name is a work in progress…”

Makoto stayed tensed against her chest, but Ann’s hands running down her back were like a key turning in a lock, and Ann felt Makoto let out a shaky breath as her body sank against her. 

She could barely make out a sigh as Makoto mumbled against her shirt, “What am I going to do with you?” 

Ann ran a hand through Makoto’s hair, “I don’t know. Thank me for going on this spontaneous trip with you? Shower me with love? Both are acceptable.” 

Makoto shook her head, but she was smiling, “I love you.” 

Now it was Ann’s turn to smile, instinctive when the words left Makoto’s lips, and she laid a kiss on the top of Makoto’s head. “Yeah, I love you too. Even if some of your date ideas are half-baked.” 

Ann could feel Makoto chuckle against her, and could still hear the birds and the insects buzzing outside. While camping may not have been how Ann had expected to spend her summer vacation, at least she could take solace in the fact that Makoto didn’t shake in fear once the rest of the night.

* * *

“Damn it.” Makoto muttered under her breath, the stoplight turning red the second it was her turn to cross. 

Her motorcycle hummed underneath her, heat radiating off it’s body, not unwelcome against the cool autumn breeze that managed to snake its way between Shibuya’s skyscrapers and mid-afternoon traffic. It wasn’t a long distance from campus to the shoot location, but the timing was sub-optimal at best. 

Then again, any time Makoto picked Ann up, the shoots tended to go long, anyway. As she thought that, the light changed and kicked her from dwelling in negativity as she crossed and took the next right turn, and then another through a small side street until she pulled up on the address Ann had given her. 

It didn’t take long for Makoto to realize why this location was picked; the street had relatively minimal foot traffic, yet was lined with trees in all different shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. Combined with the aesthetics of small store fronts, each with casual signage that drew little attention, it created quite the scene. In fact, the only thing really out of place was the handful of cameras, the lighting equipment, and the small party of photographers and crew. And, of course, the beautiful young woman in the middle of it all. 

Makoto kept a fair distance from the shoot, parking her bike off to the side so as to not disrupt anyone’s workflow. Sure enough, they were running late, cameras still flashing and a director barking out instructions. She plucked off her helmet and readjusted herself atop the motorcycle so she could take in everything comfortably. 

She had her books in her backpack, but… from this far away, it was incredibly easy to observe without anyone noticing, to watch all the commotion centered around one gorgeous model. Makoto had seen a handful of shoots in a variety of settings: in a warehouse, inside an office building, on a beach. But something about the way this one played out in front of her was mesmerizing in a way those other stages couldn’t capture. 

Maybe it was the color of the trees, how vivid and bright they were, how well they paired with the casual flannel and skirt Ann wore. Or maybe it was something to do with the timing; it was sunset, after all, and that lighting tended to make everything look softer and more beautiful. Though, Makoto thought to herself, Ann hardly needed the assist.  

Staring like this was like looking into a picture, or a painting. If Makoto concentrated, she could see the rest of the crew fading away, leaving just Ann, bathed in sunlight.

Ann’s looks were no secret; she was paid to display them, after all, and even if Makoto got a little jealous at the idea of so many sets of eyes staring at the woman she loved, she would never think of depriving Ann the opportunity to follow her passions. She wasn’t that selfish.

And she was the only one who got the chance to see that beauty in the flesh, day in and day out, to see the sides of Ann that were a little embarrassing, imperfect, mundane. The only one who really got to see all of it, not just the picture- perfect girl in front of a hundred flashing cameras.

She’d fallen in love with all of those parts. They didn’t diminish Ann’s beauty; if anything, they enhanced it, and while others were stuck on the superficial aspects of her, the Ann Makoto had fallen in love with was so much more human and caring than any rumor could suggest. To be accepted by someone like that was almost overwhelming, in the best way possible. 

It was hard to imagine a day in her life that Makoto wouldn’t want to be by Ann’s side. 

Makoto’s helmet slipped out of her hands, clattered against the pavement below. It shouldn’t have been a revelation, really, but having it spelled out so clearly in her mind was just so unexpected. Of all the decisions Makoto had had to make in her life to that point, she’d never really considered that this would be the easiest one. 

“Helloo? Earth to Makoto?” 

Makoto shook herself out of her thoughts, only to see the very object of them standing in front of her, smiling. “Oh. You’ve finished?” 

“Mmhm. Are you done daydreaming? You dropped this, by the way.” Ann handed her the helmet, and once Makoto took it, popped the storage compartment for the spare.

“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” Makoto mumbled, feeling the bike sink as Ann straddled the back of it, her arms wrapping around Makoto’s waist.

“It’s not a big deal, you know. I  _ am  _ curious about what was making you so spacy, though.” 

Fire burned up Makoto’s face, “N-Nothing much, just thinking about some things. Let’s go home, you worked hard today and deserve some rest.” She slid her helmet on quickly, tried to maintain some semblance of composure as Ann giggled behind her. 

“If you say so.” The smile was evident in Ann’s tone, and Makoto fired the engine, it’s roar in sharp contrast to the quiet, introspective air of autumn in the city.

* * *

“So...cold…” Ann said with a shiver as she burrowed against Makoto, face resting against her thigh.

“I told you to wear a warmer jacket…” Makoto sighed, gently patting her. “You knew it was going to snow today.” 

“I know.” Ann grumbled, “But it’s a cute jacket. I had to wear it while I had the chance.” 

“I don’t know if I would consider near-freezing temperatures a ‘chance’...” Makoto responded under her breath, but didn’t bother arguing further as she went back to studying the book on the table in front of her. 

The kotatsu clicked, it’s heat a constant against Ann’s legs as she snuggled closer to Makoto. “How much more of that do you have left to read, anyway?”

“Not too much. But I’ll want to re-read it, or at least a couple sections of it.” 

Ann hummed, closing her eyes. “You’re so dedicated. I don’t think I know anyone else who would spend this much time reading a rulebook.” 

She felt Makoto stiffen a bit, before responding, “It’s not just a rulebook. It’s the department’s official code of conduct. If they’re going to trust me with protecting and serving, I want to make sure I do it right.” 

“I know.” Ann said, “You’ll do great.” 

“I’d rather not leave it to chance.” Makoto muttered as she flipped a page. Ann decided not to press the point, instead settling for listening to the gentle rhythm of paper being turned, the light noise of Makoto’s breathing, in time with the frigid gusts against the apartment window. 

Getting comfortable with quiet had taken some time, though Ann had always thought it shouldn’t have; she grew up in an almost constantly empty apartment, after all, and surrounded by the silence of adults in the face of so many teenage whispers. But that was silence- and this was quiet.  Something more settled, more comfortable. Ann didn’t have to entertain, say something worthwhile or valuable to keep Makoto around. Makoto just… stayed. Without any conditions. 

It was a weird feeling, to say the least. 

Sure, Ann had Shiho, but Shiho never lived with her, though sometimes Ann half-wished she could have. It’s not like she had ever struggled with money, either, and at least her parents still contacted her on occasion, even if they kept their distance. But with Makoto, it had dawned on Ann more than once that their time together wasn’t limited by anything other than fate and chance. There didn’t need to be too many words jammed into every phone call, something grandiose in every birthday note. Sometimes, nothing needed to be said at all. 

Maybe it wasn’t the idolized, over-the-top thing that dramas had made her think love was, but this was some form of love, Ann was sure. Some form of weirdly stable love. The kind that could go on forever and--

Oh. 

Ann felt something running through her hair, and shifted a little under the touch, Makoto’s hands suddenly more heavy than they had been before. 

“You’re going to catch a cold if you sleep under there, you know.” 

Quiet was comfortable, but Ann knew once she opened her mouth, there would be no end to her words, the sudden weight of realization needing to manifest into energy, something tangible. 

“That’s just a myth,” She said, and cracked her eyes open, “Say, Makoto.” 

“Hm?” Makoto’s attention was on her, now. No chickening out.

“Do you ever think about the future? Or, well, that was a dumb question, of course you do, I mean--”

“Ann? Are you okay?”

“Um,” Ann took another look at the worried expression on Makoto’s face, and then, a deep breath, “I’m just overthinking things I guess. But, I mean, do you ever think about where we’ll be in the future? Or anything like that?” 

Makoto hummed and looked away, though she couldn’t hide her blush. “Yes. I mean, it’s natural to think about that kind of thing sometimes, right?”

“And? Do you think about anything, like, specifically?” 

“Um.” From this angle, Ann could barely trace Makoto’s eyes, but if she was looking anywhere, it was out the window, like if she said the words just right they’d be whisked away by the winter winds. “You, mostly.”

Maybe not a surprise, but that didn’t make it any less nice to hear, and Ann barely even had a chance to register what that meant before Makoto hurriedly following up with, “What brings this up?”

Now it was Ann’s turn to be shy, but there was no way she could be, not when the next words were so perfectly laid out in her mind. “I was just thinking about how I can’t really picture spending my life with anyone else.”

She felt the sharp intake of breath before she heard it, though it wasn’t very hard to tell how Makoto reacted to that bit of information, back-straight and face redder than if she had just come in from the cold. 

Ann knew well enough that this was a Makoto Malfunction, though when she had started to backpedal, Makoto interrupted her. 

“Is...is this a proposal?” 

Instead of backpedaling, she shot up from Makoto’s lap, only avoiding her chin and a nasty unintentional upper-cut thanks to a well-timed dodge, “Y- No, I mean, maybe? It’s definitely not an official one, but only because…” 

Makoto stared at her, eyes a mixture of hurt and confusion and panic and some variant of joy, and Ann shook her head clear before she continued, “...Because it’s not a very good one. Not at all. I don’t even have a ring or anything.” 

For a moment, the two of them just sat there, each waiting for the other to make a move with only the sound of the running kotatsu in the background, the air thick with tension between them, until--

“Pffpt.”

“Oh my god, stop laughing at me.” 

“No, I’m not laughing at you, I’m just... This is so like you, Ann.”

Ann slunk back, crossing her arms and pouting, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Makoto smiled as she turned to the table, closing the book in front of her, “You just-- you say what you mean. You’re straightforward. Like the most important thing isn’t how it’s said, but making sure that you say it when you have the chance.” 

“I’m glad you enjoy me making an idiot out of myself,” Ann mumbled as she slumped forward against the tabletop.

“It’s not that at all. I think it shows how genuine you are.” Ann groaned at the comment, and she heard Makoto shift before strong arms wrapped around her. “I’m sorry if I made you feel embarrassed.” 

Ann huffed at that, and tried to forget about Makoto’s reaction to her words, what the mixture of emotions could possibly mean--

“Though I suppose I should tell you,” Makoto added, quiet, “I can’t see myself with anyone else, either, so if that was a proposal, the answer is yes.”

* * *

“I guess we picked a bad day for this, huh?”

Makoto didn’t want to agree; not after Ann had gone through the trouble of planning everything,  “No, it’s a fine day. I just think--” 

She couldn’t even finish her sentence before a small child tripped over the picnic basket immediately in front of them, prompting a gasp from Ann before the little boy scrambled back up, bowing for forgiveness with an avalanche of apologies and not waiting for a response before sprinting off again. 

Who was Makoto kidding? Trying to enjoy a cherry blossom viewing during the peak blossom season on a Sunday was about the worst timing for this, but at least Ann had tried. “-- You gave it your best effort. There will always be next year, if you want to try going somewhere quieter.”

Ann mumbled something about how she wanted it to be this year, because  _ this  _ year was special, and Makoto couldn’t help but smile. If anything, that should’ve lessened the importance of this one average Sunday, but she could see Ann’s point. 

It had been a hectic last few months of winter, with work piled onto work, and the added scheduling and planning seemed to melt away their free time together like the snow that covered Tokyo’s streets.

Though that was a necessary part of the process, and it would ultimately pay off in the end.

“Now, if you look to your left, you’ll see a line of… you guessed it… more Yoshino cherry trees. These tend to be in full bloom for only about a week, so we’re in luck…”

“Ugh, a tour group? Seriously? I thought this was supposed to be a quiet park!” Ann pouted, flopping back onto the blanket. Thankfully, they’d at least picked a spot on the hillside, which made it easier to see the trees, but then again, it hadn’t been like there was a wealth of options with how many families and couples had tried to squeeze into the grounds. 

“It is a little jarring…” Makoto murmured as she watched the stout, middle-age guide as he gestured wildly towards the line of trees.

“I’d always thought these kinds of events were romantic. Scenic, and like, way too serious. But I should’ve guessed that was more of a movie thing.” 

Makoto hummed. It  _ was  _ scenic, despite all the people. The lake at the center of the park pulled together the green of the grass, the white of the petals falling with each gust of wind, though there would be no way for Ann to notice all that if she spent the entire day moping.

There was only one thing to do. 

“ _ EECK!” _

Without warning, Makoto plopped down immediately next to Ann, taking care not to land on top of her, but sneaking a hand against hers, keeping them close. 

“Jeez, what are you doing?! You scared the crap out of me! And your hand is cold!” Ann yelled, but made no attempt to push her away. 

Makoto nudged her, making sure she had eye contact before she said “I’m just, you know, enjoying the scenery. And it’s not  _ my  _ fault my hand is cold. I’m not the one who put a ring there.” 

“God,” Ann sat up with a whine, “I can’t believe you. When did you get so smooth and how am I going to be expected to deal with it for the rest of my life?”

Makoto sat up with her, squeezed her hand when she replied, “I can’t answer that. That’s something you should have considered beforehand, but it’s a little late now.” 

“Not yet! We haven’t had the ceremony. Technically, there’s still time to ditch.” 

“You’ll have to get out of my grip, then.” 

Ann lifted their joined hands up, and groaned when Makoto squeezed her hand so tightly she could feel her fingers pulsing with the cut-off circulation. “Okay! Okay, I get it! You could’ve just dropped another one of those lovey dovey lines instead of doing that, you know? What happened to Suave-koto?” 

Makoto dropped her hand almost instantly and turned away as she muttered apologies. Ann giggled, and Makoto felt her press against her side, “I’m just teasing you, Mako-chan.”

The words instantly struck her with warmth despite the chill of the spring air, and Makoto wondered if a lifetime together would ever get her accustomed to the teasing when she felt Ann’s hand cup her chin, turning her face towards her and leaning in--

“The funny thing is, cherry blossoms don’t actually stick around long. Most last only about 30 to 40 years, which means they barely even get to see anything before dying. Isn’t that morbid?” The tour guide’s voice bounced from the bark of the trees, like a bird singing a song off-tune as Ann groaned and slouched forward against Makoto. 

“Well, that’s a mood killer if I’ve ever heard one.” Ann mumbled against Makoto’s shoulder, “I thought all trees just kind of lived forever.”

“Not everything can last forever,” Makoto replied, her eyes trailing back down to Ann, and she bit her tongue at the urge to say a thousand more poetic things before she continued, “but by that logic, we should still be able to see these same trees in forty years. I think it’d be interesting to see how much they’ve changed.” 

“It’s a date.” Ann said, smiling, “Do you think it’ll still be as crowded then?” 

“Given the rate of population decline, I…” Makoto paused, as a vision of the future played out in her mind; the two of them under the cherry blossoms, like this, but with years of adventures and love between them, more than she could possibly imagine now, “...it won’t matter, because I’ll still be at your side.” 

Ann laughed, attracting the looks of several people nearby and not caring a bit, “I can’t even get mad at you for how sappy that is. I love you so much.”

Makoto leaned over, planting a kiss on the top of Ann’s head, “I love you, too.” 

There were no fireworks, just the idle chatter of families, the laughter of children as they played, the gusts of wind ruffling and spreading blossoms, trees in full bloom; the sounds of another season shared between them.

* * *

 


End file.
